Blog Writing - Don'ts

Don’t …

Set Unrealistic Goals

You know your schedule and abilities better than anyone else, so don’t attempt to post every day if you can’t. Start out by posting weekly and get into the rhythm. Then increase posts as you get better at it.

Do Word Count Limits

If you have something to say, say it. Readers prefer getting meatier pieces, say 500 words or more to make clicking through worth their time. And the more meat the more search engines presence. This by no means amounts to no featuring shorter pieces or that you should ramble on just to meet a word count, but don’t be afraid to break down antiquated perceptions that blogs need to be short. When the time, flow and subject matter are all right, go ahead.

Make a Single Grammar Mistake

Re-read your piece and correct them immediately. The Web population tends to be more lenient about typos, so don’t stress about it if you do make a mistake. But correct it as soon as you can. Remember, if you ever want readers to take you seriously, work like a professional.

Be negative

Unless it’s the theme of your blog, it’s generally unwise to air personal grievances publicly. Being positive takes you much farther, so be inspirational and supportive to the community that you’re writing to.

Write Long Paragraphs

Even in novel writing, especially the crime/thriller genres, short chapters are better than long ones. Same in blogging text. Long blocks of text are hard for readers to digest, especially when reading on computers and tablets. You need to break up your content into shorter paragraphs, bullet points and lists whenever possible. Also, work in some subtitles whenever you can.

Avoid Introducing New Things

It’s important to let your blog evolve over time. The best way to do this is to take risks every once in awhile. Whether it’s adding infographs or personal stories or guest bloggers, never be afraid to try something new. If you feel it can add something special to your blog, try it.

Legal Matters

We’re writers, not legal experts—and yet, every time we put words down on paper a number of legal questions arise. How do I copyright my work? Do I need to? Am I allowed to quotes song lyrics? Can I use someone else’s character in my book? And that’s just the tip of the pencil. Here I’ve collected a writer’s set of FAQs links from Writer’s Digest about legal issues that will help you navigate the basics. But please remember that when in doubt, get appropriate legal advice.